Dashboard Design: some

basics
Emidia Vagnoni

Concepts and Theory

Dashboard definition
A dashboard is a visual display of the most important information needed to achieve
one or more objectives; consolidated and arranged on a single screen so the
information can be monitored at a glance

Dashboard types I
Strategic Dashboards
Used by executives
Quick overview on the health of the business, including major high-level measures
Few information, simple display mechanisms, static snapshots
Analytical Dashboards
Used by analysts
Support interaction with data, e.g. drill-down
Complex data, sophisticated display mechanisms, static snapshots
Operational Dashboards
Used to monitor operations
Support alerting for critical events, interaction with data
Detailed data, simple and clear display mechanisms, real-time data
Source: (Few 2006, p. 40-42)

Layers of information
Top
Layer

Summarized Graphical View

Purpose: Monitor key performance metrics
Display: Graphical indicators, numbers, text
Technology: Dashboards, scorecard, portals

Bottom
Layer

Middle
Layer

Multidimensional View
Purpose: Explore information from multiple dimensions
Display: Interactive charts and tables
Technology: OLAP, interactive reports

Detailed Reporting View

Purpose: Examine details before taking action
Display: Table or report in separate window
Technology: Operational reports, data warehouse queries

Source: Eckerson (2006), p. 15

Dashboard types II
Dashboard versus Portal
Portal = Focus on the integration of different contents under one user interface
Dashboard = Focus on the compression of important facts and figures on one
single screen
Dashboard versus Scorecard
A scorecard is a specific dashboard including Key Performance Indicators (KPIs),
usually used on a strategic level

Evolution of Dashboards

Display:
Simple Charts

Function:
-Simple monitoring of
some business areas

Second
Generation

Display:
-Advanced Charts
-Gauges & Indicators
-Tables

Function:
-Advanced monitoring
-Drill down to analyze
-Monitor key metrics

Third
Generation

Display:
-Advanced Charts
-Gauges & Indicators
-Tables
-Scorecards
-Strategy Maps

Function:
-Advanced monitoring
-Drill down to analyze
-Monitor key metrics
-Monitor tactics
-Monitor strategy

First
Generation

Adapted from Rasmussen/Bansal/Chen (2009), p.5

Business Dashboards

SAP Implementation

New Intelligence Platform of SAP

Name is
changed to
SAP Crystal Please check
Dashboard sdn.sap.com for
latest version
Design
SAP Crystal Dashboard
Design (formerly Xcelsius) is
the flagship product for
dashboarding and visualization
Rapid development
of dashboards by
drag and drop
Replacing SAP Bex
Web Application
Designer

Connectivity through
XML and webservice
connectors
Source: (SAP AG 2009)

Common BI Architecture
SAP Crystal Dashboard Design

Source: Eckerson, W. (May 2006). Business intelligence 2006 only the beginning. What Works: Best Practices
in Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing, 21.

Information Discovery and

Delivery
Crystal Reports
Connect to virtually
any data source,
design and format
interactive reports

SAP Crystal
Dashboard Design
(Xcelsius)
Point and click data
visualization tool to
create interactive
analytics and
dashboards

Web Intelligence
Self-service access to
information and intuitive
analysis

SAP Crystal Dashboard

Design Overview
Building dashboards for different purposes and different hierarchical levels or
functions, including dynamic charts and graphs, data presentations and visual
what-if scenarios
Data presentation is based on Adobe Flash, export to different applications
including PowerPoint, Acrobat 9, Adobe AIR, Adobe Flash, HTML, Business
Objects Platform
Dashboards use static data from Microsoft Excel spreadsheet models or live
corporate data sources linked using various connectors
Available connectors: Query as a Web Service (QaaWS), Web Service
Connections, XML Data Connections, Excel XML Map, Live Office,

Design time & Run time

Design time
Visualization

Run time
Generate dashboard
(.swf file with internal
data model)

Optional: Dashboard
(.swf file) deployed on
corporate web server
Web Server

Visualization

Design visualization
Data binding
Workspace Data connectivity

Business
Logic

Spreadsheet model

Data Source
XML

RDBMS

OLAP

Dashboard is opened on
users machine
Client

Optional: Dashboard
connects to data source
Client
to refresh data

Visual Components
Chart components provide a range of different chart types like line, pie,
bar, area, radar, and tree map chart

Container components group and display other components

Selector components are used to create a visualization with multiple

options to select from

Single value components are used to add user interactivity to

visualizations, these components are linked to a single cell in the
spreadsheet
Map components create visualizations with geographical
representations that can display data by region
Text components are used for placing labels and including text into a
visualization

Creating Dashboards
Three steps to create a new dashboard:
Create the spreadsheet model
Import existing spreadsheet model or
Create new spreadsheet model with Excel functionality
Build the visualization
Select suitable components from the visualization library
Data binding
Publish the dashboard
Export to PPT, Word, Adobe, SWF, Business Objects

Example of Spreadsheet

Source: http://www.sap.com/solutions/sapbusinessobjects/sap-crystal-solutions/dashboards-visualization/demos/index.epx

Import Spreadsheet Model

1. Select
Data -> Import

2. Select
existing Excel
file

3. Your business model is now

available in the embedded
spreadsheet

Select Visual Components

1. Select a pie chart from the
component browser

2. Move the
component
using drag and
drop onto the
canvas

Properties and Data

Binding
1. Double click on the component to open
the properties panel
2. Edit title of the
component: Use static
values or dynamic
values from spreadsheet
model
3. Bind data from
spreadsheet model to
the component

Publish Dashboard
1. Save spreadsheet model and
visualization as *.xlf file

2. Export as e.g. PDF

3. Launch Dashboard

Topics

Dashboard design
Designing spreadsheet models
Basic components for visualization
Charts components
Single value components
Text components
Alerts
Selector components
Dashboard layout
Case study: Global Sales Overview

Dashboard Design

Dashboard design

What type of dashboard should be designed?

What are the relevant data and KPIs that should be visualized?
What are appropriate elements for visualization?
How should user navigation look like?
How is the dashboard supplied with data?

Dashboard Design

Dashboard design principles I

Reduce the non-data pixels, by eliminating unnecessary non-data pixels and deemphasizing the remaining non-data pixels
E.g. eliminate unnecessary
third dimension of depth on charts
E.g. eliminate unnecessary
grid lines in bar graphs
E.g. eliminate variations in color that
dont encode any meaning
Source: (Few 2006, p. 103-110)

Dashboard design

Dashboard design principles II

Enhance data pixels by eliminating unnecessary data pixels and highlighting

most important data pixels

Remove data that is less relevant

Condense data by summaries and exceptions
Emphasize important data by visual attributes like color intensity, size, line width
Emphasize important data by its position on the dashboard: top-left and center are
sections with greatest emphasis
Emphasized

Neither emphasized nor

de-emphasized
Emphasized

Neither emphasized nor

de-emphasized

De-emphasized

Different degrees of visual emphasis. Source: (Few 2006, p. 114)

Topics

Dashboard design
Designing spreadsheet models
Basic components for visualization
Charts components
Single value components
Text components
Alerts
Selector components
Dashboard layout
Case study: Global Sales Overview

Spreadsheet Models

Using Excel functionality

SAP Crystal Dashboard Design supports a variety of Excel functions (about 160)
and formulas
Mathematical, statistical functions
Text-related functions
Date/Time related functions
Spreadsheet formulas
Complete list of supported Excel functions available in SAP Crystal Dashboard
Design Help
But: not all Excel functionality is available in SAP Crystal Dashboard Design

Single Value Components

Gauges
Gauges as input component represent a
variable that can be modified to affect
other components. By dragging the
needle users can interact with the Gauge
to change the value
Gauges as output components represent a
value that changes and moves the needle
if underlying data changes

Alerts
Alerts overview
Used to call the attention of the user to a specific item
that has reached a pre-defined limit
Limits are e.g. budgets or benchmarks, plan data, etc.
Alerts can be defined for different components, including
most charts and single-value components and some
selector components
Customization of different alert levels and colors
possible
Configuration takes place on the Alerts tab of the
Properties panel

Alerts
Defining Alerts for a Gauge
Activate Alerts on the Alerts tab in the
Properties panel

Define Alert method:

as percent, if evaluated values are percentages
as value, if evaluated values are integers
Define Alert levels and colors
Select if high/middle/low levels are good

Dashboard Layout
Themes
Allow a global change of the
appearance of components
Each theme has a number of different
components with a look and feel of
that particular theme
Themes can be combines with
different Color Schemes

Example of a Dashboard

Source: http://www.sap.com/solutions/sapbusinessobjects/sap-crystal-solutions/dashboards-visualization/demos/index.epx

Other Dashboard Examples

Daily executive report
Summarizes the daily status of a hospitality
company's key performance indicators across
different locations
Gives the executive an interactive view of the
daily and monthly metrics

Standard income statement

Highlights a new way of presenting typical
income statements
By selecting a region from a map, the viewer can
see its P&L and net income trend over the last six
quarters and compare it with the target values
Source: http://www.sap.com/solutions/sapbusinessobjects/sme/xcelsius/demos/index.epx

Display Media for Dashboards

Medium

Description

Graphs

Visualize quantitative data, e.g.

one single key measure or data
series

Images

Useful if images provide additional

information

Icons

Visualization of alerts or status (e.g.

on/off)

Drawing
objects

Arrange and connect different

elements on the dashboards, e.g. to
visualize processes or hierarchical
relationships between elements

Text

Used for labels or to report single

measures on the dashboard

Organizers Arrange related business information,

e.g. as tables or geographically in
maps
Source: adapted from Few (2006), p. 124 ff

Example

1000.00 USD

What is Business Intelligence

(BI)?
IT-enabled business decision making
based on simple to complex data
analysis processes
Database development and administration
Data mining
Performance Management (B.Scorecards.)
Data queries and report writing
Data analytics and simulations
Benchmarking of business performance
Dashboards
Decision support systems

IT Technologies Supporting BI

Database systems and database

integration
Data warehousing, data stores and data
marts
Enterprise resource planning (ERP)
systems
Query and report writing technologies
Data mining and analytics tools
Decision support systems
Customer relation management software
Product lifecycle and supply chain
management systems

Definitions

Data mining is the process of extracting hidden patterns from data. As more data is
gathered, with the amount of data doubling every three years data mining is becoming an
increasingly important tool to transform this data into information. It is commonly used in a
wide range of profiling practices, such as marketing, surveillance, fraud detection and
scientific discovery.
Dashboards: Typically, information is presented to the manager via a graphics display called
a Dashboard. A BIS (Business Intelligence System) Dashboard serves the same function as a
cars dashboard. Specifically, it reports key organizational performance data and options on a
near real time and integrated basis. Dashboard based business intelligence systems do
provide managers with access to powerful analytical systems and tools in a user friendly
environment.
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is a company-wide computer software system used to
manage and coordinate all the resources, information, and functions of a business from
shared data stores.
Online analytical processing, or OLAP is an approach to quickly answer multi-dimensional
analytical queries. OLAP is part of the broader category of business intelligence, which also
encompasses relational reporting and data mining. The typical applications of OLAP are in
business reporting for sales, marketing, management reporting, business process
management (BPM), budgeting and forecasting, financial reporting and similar areas. The
term OLAP was created as a slight modification of the traditional database term OLTP (Online
Transaction Processing)
Multidimensional/ hyper cubes: A group of data cells arranged by the dimensions of the
data. For example, a spreadsheet exemplifies a two-dimensional array with the data cells
arranged in rows and columns, each being a dimension. A three-dimensional array can be
visualized as a cube with each dimension forming a side of the cube, including any slice
parallel with that side. Higher dimensional arrays have no physical metaphor, but they
organize the data in the way users think of their enterprise. Typical enterprise dimensions are
time, measures, products, geographical regions, sales channels, etc. Synonyms: Multidimensional Structure, Cube, Hypercube
OLAP operations: Slice, Dice, Drill Down/Up, Roll-up, Pivot
See this site for all these definitions: http://altaplana.com/olap/glossary.html#SLICE AND
DICE